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/sci/ - Science & Math

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4275091 No.4275091 [Reply] [Original]

Hello /sci/,

I'm seriously considering switching my major to chemistry as it has always been my favourite science and it seems to have a lot of career opportunities. I'd love to hear about people's experiences both studying it and working in the field.

Thank you.

>> No.4275139

Explain these career opportunities, or...what you think they are.

>> No.4275160

What is your major now?

>> No.4275180

>>4275139
I've read that there are a variety of career opportunities depending on your specialization.

http://www.chem.utoronto.ca/undergrad/career_opportunities.php

>>4275160
I made the mistake of going into the social sciences. I realized that my degree would be worthless and that I don't want to be a perpetual student or a teacher.

>> No.4275184

If you want a job, do Chemical Engineering not Chemistry.

>> No.4275187

>>4275180
> Looking at a university department's website to see possible career paths for the majors offered by that department
Man, they have an incentive to make chemistry seem great - they get more students. I don't doubt for a minute that these are all more or less realistic career paths, *but* remember that almost any department can come up with a similar list, and they will most likely exaggerate how great of a career path it is. In general, with science degrees, you have to branch significantly (although not necessarily completely) out of your field to get a job if you don't want to stay in academia.

>> No.4275190

>>4275187
I'm aware of that. I've looked further into it than just university websites. That's just a link I posted for quick reference.

>> No.4275192

>>4275184
I'll look into that.

>>4275187
Thanks for the advice though :). I should have added that to my previous post.

>> No.4275193

>>4275180
It's >>4275190 here, didn't realize quite how half-assed that "career opportunities in chemistry" page was. They even list computer programmer and art conservator as possible career paths! Chemistry is absolutely irrelevant for those fields.

>> No.4275197

>>4275193
Very well, I'm not basing my decision entirely upon lists of careers I've found (here's probably a better one: http://chemistry.about.com/cs/5/f/blcareers.htm).).

Would you say that the career paths are quite restrained then?

>> No.4275202

>>4275197
Just noticed that you answered this in your previous post about having to branch out significantly.

Apologies for the rushed responses, I'm multi-tasking.

>> No.4275209

>>4275197
If you want to stay strictly in chemistry related work then yes, it's very restrictive. The truth is, pretty much any degree you can get at a university related to engineering or science will train you well for a relatively narrow field. The point is that you gain various skills and general knowledge that allow you to be successful in a wide variety of careers and fields. Don't worry about it that much (if you're a good student you won't have that much trouble finding work), but an engineering degree would be more directly employable if that's what you're worried most about.

>> No.4275228

When I started my chem degree, I was told there was a negative unemployment rate, people would be pounding on my door, et cetera. And that was kind of true, if I wanted to work for $40k/year for the rest of my life doing industrial labwork. Pharma jobs are few and hard to come by, so basically you end up testing sulphuric acid or beer or whatever for purity. If you're lucky you do environmental sampling and get outdoors. According to most job ads, you need chem eng or a MSc to get a good job.

So I went back and got my Master's degree. The career counsellor promised, yeah, I'd be forever employed at ludicrous wages. And halfway through, I got a call from an oil company offering me a big salary... but I'd have to move to a horrible place where even the secretaries made 6 figures. So I turned it down and finished my degree. Fine, because the oil industry tanked the next year anyway and everyone got laid off.

A year of searching, and there was shit. Ended up going into trades training. Happily making the big bucks now, and doing my own research on the side.

One thing chem might do for you is get you work as a financial analyst/stock trader. It sounds counter-intuitive, I know, but if you couple it with a lot of physics and math, that's the kind of analytical background they want.

>> No.4275255

I liked chem. Hard work to memerize all the stuff you need to, but its rewarding.

>> No.4275279

>>4275255
>>4275228
Thank you very much for sharing your experiences.